Swamp Thing vs Poison Ivy
by chilled monkey
Summary: Swamp Thing discovers a cache of toxic gas being stored in the swamp, leading to a showdown with Poison Ivy. However the result may not be as obvious as it should be...


**Disclaimer:** I do not own "Injustice 2" nor do I own any of the characters in this story. All are property of DC. This is purely a work of fan fiction. No profit is being made from it.

 **Author's Note:** This is basically an AU. Just something I'd have done with Swamp Thing if I had been in charge.

I was unsure what rating this story should have as it does contain some rather graphic material. I went with a "T "but if anyone thinks it should be rated "M" then please let me know and I'll edit it.

* * *

Normally the derelict shack was nothing he would consider noteworthy. There were many such structures in the swamp, abandoned and left to rot, with creepers growing over them, their wood green with mildew and doors hanging off of rusty hinges. A part of him even found it pleasing to see such human intrusions being reclaimed by nature.

This particular shack however was no longer abandoned. Shadowy figures moved back and forth across a rickety jetty, carrying crates out of the shack and loading them onto four johnboats. Bubbles burst on the surface of the dark water. The bare branches of a nearby dead tree cast frightful shadows in the wan light from their lanterns.

From the cover of the surrounding trees Swamp Thing watched the scene with disdain. He was an intimidating sight, standing over seven feet tall and his entire body formed out of green plant matter and brown roots save for the blazing red eyes that stared out from a flat, nose-less face.

His frown deepened as he caught sight of one particular figure; a thin and gangly man wearing a tattered white lab coat over a formal suit and with a loosened hangman's noose around his neck. His head was fully covered by a mask made of burlap with a pair of lenses over his eyes and three gas filters. Swamp Thing recognised him at once.

 _Dr. Jonathan Crane, the Scarecrow_ he thought darkly. _He endangers the swamp by storing his vile toxins here. As the Guardian of the Green I will not permit this!  
_

With that decided he emerged from the trees and began striding towards the shack. The goons began shouting and pointing while Scarecrow dashed into the shack. His henchmen drew pistols and started shooting but their bullets had no effect on Swamp Thing. He raised his arms and his fingers extended, growing into vines that wrapped tightly around the henchmen. Within seconds all of them were completely immobilised.

"Now to deal with Scarecrow."

He started approaching the shack again but stopped abruptly as he sensed a presence. One that he knew all too well.

There was a low rumbling as something rose up from the muddy ground in front of him. It resembled a pink flower bud except that it was human-sized. The giant flower's petals unfurled and a figure stepped out in a cloud of pink mist.

Before him now stood a woman with bright red hair that hung down her back in a thick braid, green eyes and pale skin that had an odd greenish tint to it. She wore a bizarre outfit that seemed to be made entirely of leaves. It resembled a corset with a v-neckline that plunged to her navel, and thigh-length boots.

 _Dr. Pamela Isley, Poison Ivy as she now calls herself_ Swamp Thing thought. _She considers herself a Guardian of the Green but while I sympathise with her motives, her methods threaten to disrupt the balance of nature._

"Swamp Thing! How nice to see you again" said Ivy in her typical sultry tone.

"I am not here for pleasantries" he replied brusquely. "I am here to deal with those that threaten the swamp." He gestured at the shack.

"You needn't worry about that" she said. "We're shipping the gas away from here. The swamp is in no danger."

"Scarecrow's gas is derived from plants" he pointed out. "He perverts the Green."

She was unfazed. "That is unfortunate but ultimately it will achieve far more good than harm."

He knew what she meant by that. "You seek to destroy humanity. That is not the will of the Green."

"I'm done compromising" she replied. "Humans are the enemy. This world will be a better place without them."

"That is not your place to decide. Let nature take it's course"

"Don't lecture me" she snapped, her eyes flashing with anger for a moment before reverting to her usual alluring demeanour. "Well it seems there's only one way to settle this."

"So it would appear." Swamp Thing prepared himself for battle.

"One kiss for luck?" Ivy asked flirtatiously.

"My heart belongs only to Abby" he replied firmly.

Her face twisted in rage. "Then you're a traitor!"

Ivy stepped back, materialised her vine hammer and swung it angrily at Swamp Thing. He calmly caught it with one hand and casually yanked it out of her grip. She hurriedly backed away and raised her hands, palms pointing upwards.

A pair of giant vines, their tips hardened into sharp points, burst out of the muddy ground and shot towards him. Swamp Thing didn't even bother to dodge, he merely stood still and with a thought he effortlessly overrode Ivy's control of the vines. At his silent command they instantly withdrew back under the earth.

Seemingly unconcerned, Ivy did a series of cartwheels around him and he turned around to see her drop a handful of seeds into the grass. Immediately a lizard-like plant creature with a mouthful of sharp teeth, stubby limbs and a ridge of spikes running down its back sprang out from the ground.

She pointed at him and said, "Nightshade, attack!"

The creature opened its jaws and spat a globule of dark green liquid at him. Once again Swamp Thing didn't bother to dodge and let the globule splatter on his chest. Naturally it had no effect; plant-based poisons couldn't harm him.

"Enough of this." With a thought he reversed Nightshade's mutation, reverting the creature back into harmless grass. A second later his arm sprouted tendrils that shot forwards and coiled around Ivy's ankles. With a slight tug he yanked her off of her feet and she fell to the ground.

"Yield. You cannot defeat me" he said.

"Not in a fair fight, that's true" Ivy admitted. She smirked maliciously as she added, "but who said anything about this being a fair fight?"

Swamp Thing realised something was amiss and spun around to find Scarecrow standing behind him brandishing a chemical sprayer. Before he could react Scarecrow pressed the trigger and a stream of sickly green mist poured from the nozzle with a low hissing sound.

"Face your fears" Scarecrow purred.

The mist enveloped Swamp Thing, momentarily obscuring his vision. He waved it away irritably and looked around. To his surprise there was no sign of either Scarecrow or Poison Ivy.

 _Strange. Where could they have…?_

He saw something and he froze, his mind going blank.

A limp form was suspended in the branches of a nearby tree. Their face was concealed by shadows but Swamp Thing had a sudden terrible suspicion about who it was.

 _This cannot be…_

Overcome with dread he stumbled towards the tree. As he drew closer he began to perceive the full horror of the nightmarish image. The figure, a young woman, was not merely hanging from the branches, her hands and feet had been skewered by them, the branches seeming to have and grown right through. More branches pierced her chest. Blood was flowing from the wounds, falling to the marshy ground with a faint but steady _drip-drip_.

 _Green please no. Anything but this…_

He didn't want to look but like a shoot growing towards the sun he could not turn away as he finally saw her face. Her beautiful face, now fixed in a scream of horror and agony. Her lovely white hair, now matted and stained with her blood…

"Abby…" Swamp Thing said brokenly. "NO, NO, NOOOOOO!"

He threw back his head and screamed like a damned soul.

Scarecrow watched in gleeful satisfaction as Swamp Thing writhed upon the ground, tormented by the hallucinatory horrors that the fear gas had unleashed in his mind.

"Everyone has something to fear, even the Guardian of the Earth."

"Indeed Scarecrow" Ivy agreed. "And once his mind is completely shattered I'll be able to take full control of him. With his power at my disposal the Green will have a true champion."

"Alec!"

Ivy whirled around to see a slender young woman wearing blue shorts and a red t-shirt racing towards her. She had long, snowy-white hair and blue eyes. In one hand she gripped a hefty tree branch. She was Abigail "Abby" Holland nee Arcane, Swamp Thing's wife.

Before Ivy could react Abby swung the branch she held and landed a solid blow to Ivy's jaw.

CRACK!

Poison Ivy was out cold before she hit the ground.

Scarecrow tried to bring his fear gas sprayer up but Abby was too fast. She swung the branch again, hitting him directly on his left temple. The impact sent him stumbling away as the sprayer fell from his fingers. Abby knocked him out with another blow to the head and then turned her attention to Swamp Thing.

"Alec! Alec!" She dropped the branch and knelt by his side, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Come back Alec. Come back to me" she said, her voice warm and gentle but firm.

Her words and her touch pierced the chemically-induced nightmare that trapped his mind. The horrific images faded away to nothing as he returned to consciousness.

"Abby?"

"I'm right here Alec" she said with a tender smile as she helped him to his feet. He put his powerful arms around her in a loving embrace that she returned.

"Abby, I was afraid that I had lost you" said Swamp Thing softly. He held onto her firmly; after the terrifying images he had endured he needed the contact more than ever to affirm to himself that Abby was indeed alive and well in his arms.

"You'll never lose me Alec" she reassured him. "I love you."

"I love you too Abby."

After a long moment they finally let go of each other and stepped back slightly. "Thank you for saving me Abby" he said.

"You don't have to thank me for that."

"What brings you here?" he asked.

"I don't really know" she replied. "I just had this sudden terrible feeling that you were in trouble and you needed help. I just started running and somehow I ended up here."

He nodded. "Perhaps the Green guided you."

"Maybe." She pointed to the two unconscious super-villains. "So what about them?"

"I am a defender, not an executioner" he replied. "Let the human authorities deal with them."

"Sounds good to me."

* * *

Some time later Swamp Thing and Abby watched as Scarecrow, Poison Ivy and their henchmen were loaded onto police airboats along with the crates of fear gas.

"The fear gas will be taken away and safely disposed of" Abby told him. "It won't be a danger to the Earth or anyone else ever again."

"Yes." Swamp Thing nodded his head. "The swamp is safe once more. All is well."

She smiled and put her arm around his. "Come on. Let's go home."

"Nothing would make me happier."

They turned and disappeared into the swamp, happy and content in the knowledge that each was alive and well, and that they were together, always.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** While my favourite version of Swamp Thing is the 1991 cartoon, I like other versions too and wanted to try writing for one of them.

For anyone that only knows Swamp Thing from the game, in the comics his real name is Alec Holland. Abigail "Abby" Holland nee Arcane is his true love (basically his Lois Lane) and they're married.


End file.
